Regressor of the Fallen Family novel Chapter 286

It had been six months since Burdell received orders to find the king’s brother and ventured into the southern mountains. Perched atop a giant tree, Burdell looked down below and sighed inwardly.

Beneath the massive tree was a giant puma, its size as large as an average thatched cottage, sprawled across the area. Its size was intimidating, but more importantly, the beast possessed enough leaping power to cover a distance of at least 30 meters, able to jump onto the branches with a single bound.

If it weren’t for his clothes made from the skin of the Tohiren, used since his days in the forest of the beastly demons…

“It would have spotted me immediately by scent.”

Although Burdell could take it down, unless he could penetrate the puma’s eyes and shatter its brain in one strike, all monsters nearby would swarm him – each as strong as the finest knights.

How did he know?

Because he had experienced that wretched situation himself just two months ago, which left him fleeing all the way back to the entrance of the southern mountains. As a result, he had no choice but to start the path toward the depths again from scratch.

“I’m sick of it. I thought I’d seen all the horrors the forest could offer…”

While the hardships of the forest were still fresh in his mind, he had this ominous feeling that a few more months here would change his mind.

Then finally…

“There it is!”

Next to where the giant puma had passed, there was a trail of trampled bushes. In this forest, where everything was abnormally large, only a human-sized creature could leave such a trail. Since entering the deep southern mountains, Burdell hadn’t encountered any creature smaller than himself.

Which meant…

“It’s a trace of Prince Ronian. I’ve finally caught up with him.”

Burdell couldn’t understand why the prince would choose to hide in such a perilous place.

Regardless of his inability to understand the prince’s motives, his duty was separate, and he committed himself fully to the mission. After all, his sovereign had promised noble status if he truly became a superhuman on top of teaching him the way and granting knighthood.

“Here I go.”

The moment his will surged, Burdell’s body sprang silently on to the opposite branch with no sound.

Six months in the mountain range.

He felt like his agility and stealth skills, which had already been threatening the limits of a superhuman archer, were improving. All thanks to the teachings from Felix Esperanza, the “Phantom Shadow,” combined with decades of hunting supernatural beasts.

To Burdell’s slight dismay, this was not entirely a pleasing development.

“I want to go home.”

He longed for the cozy mansion in Grang City, not the humble abode near the beastly forest, but…

“To finish my mission first. Focus!”

With a slight frown, Burdell shook off his reverie and continued to follow the tracks below.

His vision, already sharp, had improved as he ascended in his training, allowing him to see details from dozens of meters away with clarity.

Confidently scanning the terrain, he reaffirmed the continuation of the traces.

“They’re close. Definitely living nearby.”

Burdell’s pupils quivered slightly.

The end of this dreary mission was finally in sight.

Unaware, his footsteps quickened just a bit. It only took him about thirty minutes since finding the first trace in the bushes before he stumbled upon a cavern that resembled a giant animal’s den.

Despite being perched on a branch of a huge tree hundreds of meters away from the cave, and despite the pitch-black darkness inside, these were no obstacles for him.

“Kae-an (Opening Eyes).”

His unique way of wielding force, concentrating it on his eyes and enhancing his vision further. The light from the force pierced through the dark distances, revealing the inside of the cave.

And there, finally, Burdell saw what he had been seeking.

“A person!”

A cry of triumph escaped his lips involuntarily, and his fists clenched in a reaction he would have surely restrained had he been in his prime back in the beastly forest – but he did not even realize he’d made a mistake.

The consequence was immediate.

“Swish.”

A soft sound – but what followed sent chills down his spine.

Burdell instinctively sensed the danger and leaped from the branch downward.

Then, a tremendous explosion erupted where he had been standing. He turned in mid-air to see a gargantuan monster snake with eyes as large as a human torso, its vertical pupils oozing malintent and trying to paralyze his movements.

Luckily, encounters with strange beasts like this weren’t new to Burdell – especially in matters of sight, for he boasted adaptability surpassing that of a superhuman.

With an increase of his force, he shook off the snake’s oppressive gaze with ease.

“Should have called it the Giansuroom (Giant Beast Forest).”

He wondered at what point the snake had crept up behind him. Comparison with the beastly forest emerged in his mind as he drew his bow in mid-air.

After tumbling dozens of meters down from a sudden assault, he instantly twisted his posture and released the arrow without hesitation. The arrowhead, with a force blade, or rather force shot, lit up in red.

“Whoosh.”

“Boom!”

“Kieeeeek!”

But unfortunately, the first shot merely bounced off the snake’s eyelid.

“What?!”

Even considering its size was fantastical, the idea of a snake’s eyelid deflecting a force shot powerful enough to pierce rock was absurd. Barely processing this shock, Burdell rolled swiftly across the ground.

“Whirrr.”

The grass where he lay a moment ago was dissolving amidst white smoke – touched by venom that had dripped from the snake’s gaping maw.

“Damn it. That size and a venom that brings instant death too? How?”

There was no time to dwell on thoughts.

“Kyaaao!”

The colossal snake sprang from its perch, moving with a flexibility and speed that belied its size.

“Tch!”

Burdell stepped back from the venomous mist and fired a succession of arrows. Each hit its target – the descending snake’s head – with alternating assets of penetration and explosion.

“Clang. Clang.”

“Swish, swish, swish.”

Only one arrow managed to inflict a deep wound on the snake’s eyelid, the rest ineffectively bouncing off.

‘This is seriously messed up.’

As the snake’s malice became even thicker and more menacing, Burdell realized he was no longer just prey; he was facing a formidable foe.

‘This is really bad.’

Feeling cold sweat slide down his spine, he poured as much force as he could into his bow and arrow. The bow made from the horn of the beast Grindel, and the string made from Garen’s a powerful tendon vibrated with his force, enhancing its elasticity to the extreme. The force shot concentrated at the arrowhead, taking the previous failure into account and further intensifying its penetrating power.

“One shot.”

He had to penetrate the snake’s eye and brain with a single shot.

He parted his lips slightly to regulate his breathing, and let drool flow without care – it’s better to look ridiculous for a moment rather than risk even little vibration capable of disrupting his aim.

But just then, a drop of sweat wound its way from his brow, through his eyebrow, and into his eye.

Involuntarily blinking in that brief moment.

“Swish.”

“Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.”

For an instant, the snake’s head appeared to swell, then vomited a waterfall of green liquid – the venom.

“Blast it!”

Burdell reflexively fired his arrow, cutting through the tide of venom and rolled to the side.

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